fundamentally unlike

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fundamentally unlike" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe two things that are inherently different in nature or essence. Example: "The two theories are fundamentally unlike, as one is based on empirical evidence while the other relies on speculation."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

It's a world that is fundamentally unlike any we have for close-up inspection, but very representative of the kind that galaxies are very good at making".

The New Yorker

When pottery making did begin, it was fundamentally unlike any known work from the Old World, and the few remote resemblances to Oriental motifs are almost certainly fortuitous.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The general account, as it was worked up by authors, philosophers, painters, and poets, runs like this: the mind is a disembodied entity absolutely and fundamentally unlike the messy physical world in which it finds itself.

University of Pennsylvania

"Japanese psychology," wrote Joseph Grew, the United States ambassador to Japan at the outset of World War II, is "fundamentally unlike that of any Western nation". The Japanese mentality "cannot be measured by our own standards of logic," he added.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Maya art, at the height of its development, was fundamentally unlike any other in Mesoamerica, for it was highly narrative, baroque, and often extremely cluttered, unlike the more austere styles found elsewhere.

Encyclopedia Britannica

For one thing, a next-generation Internet with premium toll "roadways" would be fundamentally unlike the current network, which was not engineered to separate traffic into faster and slower pathways.

MIT Technology Review

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Most naively, they see technology as something fundamentally new and unlike anything that has come to pass in our history, rather than understanding technology as merely the current incarnation of human processes that have existed since the dawn of our species and which will continue to be reinvented for each generation to come.

Forbes

At its core, the fight is about whether fundamentally weighted indexes — which, unlike traditional index funds, don't rely on market capitalization to "weight" a stock in an index — are superior to old-fashioned index funds, which allow investors to invest in such broad market indexes as the Standard & Poor's 500 or the Russell 2000.

The New York Times

Our understanding of CRC requires identification of the critical "driver" genes that are fundamentally important for CRC development unlike "passenger" genetic aberrations that have no functional relevance to cancer biology [ 2].

BMC Medical Genomics

Unlike Burke, and unlike Trump, who does not fundamentally see government as a limitation upon man, these titans of right-wing thought objected to federal supremacy.

Huffington Post

Unlike cap-weighted indexes, fundamentally weighted indexes pay much less attention to market values.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fundamentally unlike" to emphasize a core difference between two subjects rather than a superficial one. It highlights that the difference affects the very nature of the items being compared.

Common error

Avoid using "fundamentally unlike" to describe trivial differences. This phrase is best reserved for situations where the difference is deep-seated and impacts the essence of the subjects being compared.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fundamentally unlike" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun or pronoun to emphasize a core or essential difference. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's used to highlight that two things are deeply dissimilar in their nature or essence.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Academia

30%

Encyclopedias

20%

Less common in

Science

10%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "fundamentally unlike" is a grammatically sound adjectival phrase used to emphasize a significant, core difference between two subjects. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is most frequently used in news and media, academic, and encyclopedic contexts to highlight contrasts. While related phrases like "inherently different" and "essentially dissimilar" can serve as alternatives, it's important to reserve "fundamentally unlike" for differences that truly impact the essence of the subjects being compared, avoiding its misuse for trivial distinctions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Inherently different

Focuses on the intrinsic nature of the difference.

Essentially dissimilar

Emphasizes the core dissimilarity between two things.

Entirely different

Highlights a complete divergence.

Radically contrasting

Highlights a dramatic and significant difference.

Markedly different

Stresses a noticeable difference.

Profoundly distinct

Stresses a deep and significant distinction.

Significantly divergent

Emphasizes the notable degree of difference.

Materially distinct

Highlights a notable difference.

Completely disparate

Indicates a total lack of similarity.

Utterly dissimilar

Emphasizes the completeness of the dissimilarity.

FAQs

How can I use "fundamentally unlike" in a sentence?

Use "fundamentally unlike" to highlight core differences between two subjects. For example, "The two approaches to problem-solving are "fundamentally unlike", one relying on intuition and the other on data analysis".

What phrases are similar to "fundamentally unlike"?

Alternatives include "inherently different", "essentially dissimilar", or "radically contrasting". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "fundamentally different" or "fundamentally unlike"?

Both phrases are correct, but "fundamentally unlike" specifically emphasizes the contrast between two subjects, while "fundamentally different" simply points out a basic difference. The choice depends on whether you want to highlight opposition or mere distinction.

When is it appropriate to use "fundamentally unlike" in writing?

Use "fundamentally unlike" when describing differences that are essential to the nature of the subjects being compared. Avoid using it for superficial or minor distinctions.